Pneumatic-despatch system



PATENTED JAN.,12, 1904.

B. C. 'BATCHELLER.

PNEUMATIC DESPATCH SYSTEM.

APJPLIALTION FILED APR.17, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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we amm wnzns co. wcauwo.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

110.749,152. PATENTED 11111.12, 1904.

B. G. BATCHBLLER.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH SYSTEM. APPLIoAnoN FILEDAPLU. 1901.

gea/MMA@ UNITED L STATES Patented. January 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PNEUMATlC-DESPATCH SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,152, dated January 12, 1904. v

Application filed April 17, 1901. Serial No.` 56,177.' (No model.) I n To all whom it mwyvconocrn: y

Be it known that I, BIRNEY C. BATCHELLER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic-Despatch Systems, of which the following is a true and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.Y

My invention relates to pneumatic-despatch systems, and particularly to that part of such a vsystem which may be) described as the receiver-that is to say, the mechanism for delivering the carrier at the end of its travel.

rIhe object of my invention is to provide a simple and eiiicient device for receiving and delivering the carrier; and my invention consists in various featuresv of construction and combination of parts, which will be best'understood as described in connection with the drawings in which they are illustrated, and'in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation'of my irnproved receiving apparatusin what I believe to be its best form; and Fig. 2 is a similar sectional elevation, on a larger scale, lshowing additional parts not illustrated'in Fig. 1.

A indicates the pneumatic-despatch tube, in the end of which are formed gated openings A and A4, placed at such a distance apart as to leave ample room between them for thereception of a carrier.

a indicates the delivery end of the tube,

through which the carriers are delivered after 'of which will be hereinafter described.

A8 is an internally-threaded opening leading from the pipe A on the front side of the gateway A.

ASA1o are-pipes leading from the pipe Al to a portion of the yoke-like connection A5 in permanent communication with the opening A4.

A11 indicates a valve by which the passage through theV pipes A9 All may be regulated in to a piston-rod B4, securedtb apiston B5, Work- 'ing in a cylinder B6, B7, and Bs, indicating pipes leading to the opposite ends ofthe cylder and connecting withthe 'ports Cand C7, to be hereinafter described. It is obvious, of course, that the motion of the piston B5 will move the gate from the position shown in full lines in Fig. l to the alternative position-shown in dotted lines. C and c are cylinders, C and c pistons working therein and connnected through pistonrods with the gates C3` and c3, arranged to open and close the gateways A A2 and working in the chambers a and a2. Each of the pistons has also attached to it an upwardly-extending piston-rod, (indicated at C4 and 04,) and each of these rods, as shown, has attached to its vend a laterally-extending finger. (Indicated at C5 and c5.) The ports of the cylinders C and c are indicated lat O6 C7 and o5 c7, said ports communicating with valve-casings D 0l, into which lead the conduits D 0l for iuid under pressure, preferably compressed air, and from vwhich lead the exhaust-pipes D3 and Z3 indicate piston-valves working in the valve-casing and arranged, as shown, so as to alternately connect the ports with the admission and exhaust pipes.

The valve D3 has at its upper end a spindle D4 and at its lower end a short stud D5, the valve als having a similar'spindled4`at-its upend terminating in a rectangular block. (Indicated at d4.) Neithervalve is, as shown, positively connected withvalve-actuating mechanism, and both are intended to retainthe pos per end, but an extended spindle d5 at its lower sitions to which they may be moved by frictional contact with the portions of the valvecasing in which they move.

To the top of both valve-casings D and d are attached heads (indicated at E and e) having formed in them cylinders E and e provided with openings E2 e2 in their tops to receive the ends or' pipes J and H.

E2 and e3 indicate pistons working in the cylinders and having piston-rods E4 e4, arranged in line with and adapted to act upon the valve-spindles Di d2, the stroke of the pistons E3 e3 being suiiicient to enable the spindles E4 e2, acting on the spindles D4 d* to press the valves D d down to the position occupied by the valve D in Fig. 2. The pistons E3 e3 are normally pressed up to the top of their cylinders by springs, as indicated, and in their uppermost positions they permit the valves D3 d3 to be moved upward with respect to the valve Z3 in Fig. 2.

To the lower end of the valve-casing D is secured the head F, having formed in it the cylinder F', in which works the piston F2, normally held down by a spring F3, indicating the opening in the lower end of the cylinder for the reception of the end of the pipe I.

f 2 is a spindle attached to the piston F2 and adapted to act upon the stud D5 of the valve D3, the lower position of the piston permitting the valve to assume the position indicated in Fig.` 2, while the upward stroke of the piston moves the valve to its upper position, that corresponding to the position shown as to the valve d3.

G and g are cylinders secured, as shown, to the tops of the cylinders C c, said cylinders having working in them the pistons G g, normally pressed up by the springs G3 g2 G2 g2, indicating spindles attached to the pistons and extending through the tops of the cylinders, the ends of the spindles being in line with the fingers C5 c5, so that when the fingers are moved down they will depress the pistons indicated with reference to the piston g in Fig. 2.

H is a pipe connecting the lower end of the cylinder g with the upper end of the cylinder E, H indicating a non-return valve connected with said pipe.

J is a pipe connecting the lower end of the cylinder G -with the upper end of the cylinder e', J indicating a non-return valve connected with this pipe.

I is a pipe connecting the chamber a2, which is in free communication with the gateway A2, with the pipe A, with the lower end of the cylinder F.

K is a pipe connecting with the tube A through the opening A8 and having, as indicated, a connecting-pipe K', by which it is placed in communication with the upper end of the cylinder F.

K2is another branch of the pipe K, which through branches (not shown) I place in con- PManac nection with the admission-passages D d of the valve-casings already described.

L is a rock-lever pivoted on an extension of the lower head of the valve-casing d and having pivoted upon it at Z the smaller bellcrank lever, (indicated at L2,) which is normally held in the position indicated in Fig. 2 by the spring L3 holding one arm against the stop L4. The rock-lever L is actuated through a link L5 and lever-arm M2 by the finger M, which projects into the outer end a of the tube A and is attached to the same rock-shaft M as the lever M2, the normal position of the finger being that shown in the drawings and the finger being capable of turning outward under the iniiuence of an outwardly-passing carrier.

N, Fig. 1, indicates a carrier in the act of entering the space between the gates.

The operation of the device is as follows: The normal position of the parts is that indicated in both figures of the drawings, the gate C3 being open and the gate c2 closed and the gate B being in the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 1. The air passing through the pipe A therefore passes the gateway A and finds its way into the exhaust-pipe A6 through the opening A, a carrier, such as N, moving with considerable speed in the direction of the air after it passes the gateway A and opening A, compresses by its impetus the air in the portion of the tube lying between the side opening A4L and the gate 03. Prior to this compression of the air the pressure of the cylinder F on both sides of the piston F2 is equal, as both ends of the cylinder are connected with the air-tube, and the pressures being equal the piston F2 is held in its lowermost position by the action of the spring. When, however, the air is compressed in the dead end of the tube the increased pressure is communicated through the chamber a2 and pipeI to the lower end of the cylinder F and the piston F2 moved up to the end of its stroke, its spindle f 2 pressing the valve D3 up, so as to place the lower end of the cylinder C in communication with the exhaust of the upper end in communication with the entrance-passage D at the same time the front end of the cylinder B, which through the pipe B7 is in communication with the port C, is placed in communication with the exhaust of the rear end of the cylinder, which through the pipe B8 communicates with the ports C7 is placed in communication with the admission-port. Consequently the piston C moves downward, closing the gate C3, and the piston B in the cylinder B6 moves forward, shifting the position of the gate B to that indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, this shifting of the gate cutting off the opening A from the outlet-pipe A6 and connecting the opening A3 therewith, so that the closing of the gate C3 does not interfere with the movement of air t rough the tube A. As the piston C moves ownward IOO IIO

the nger C5, moving with it, at the end of its stroke acts upon the spindle G2, pressing the piston G downand forcing the air in the cylinder Gr through the pipe J into the head of the cylinder e. The pressure of the air forces down the piston e3, the spindle Ae4 of which, acting on the spindle d* of the valve h3, presses it down, so as to place the upper end of the cylinder c in communication with the vexhaust and the lower end in communication with the entrance port for the compressed air. The piston c is therefore moved upward, opening the gate c3, the upward movement of the nger 05 permitting the piston g to move up in -its'cylinder g. The gate c3 being opened, sufficient compressed air is permitted to pass into the end ofthe tube through the opening A4, the gate passing from the pipe A6 through the pipes A9 and A10, which last-mentioned pipes constitute a by-pass round the gate B until suicient air being permitted to escape to move the carrier N out of the space between the gateways into the delivery end a of the tube. As the carrier passesY the inger M it moves said finger upward, the spring-supported lever L2 moving below the head Z6 of the spindle d5, and as soon as the carrier has cleared the finger it moves back to its normal position, as shown in the drawings, the corresponding movement of the connected parts causing the end of the lever L2 to press the block d and spindle Z5 upward to the position shown in Fig. 2, said spindle of course carrying the valve @Z3 with it to the position also indicated. The shifting of the valve admits the air to the upper end of the cylinder c, causing the piston c to move down and the gate c3 to close. The end of the downward stroke of the piston c causes its finger o5 to press down on the spindle g2 of the piston g', forcing the air in the cylinder g through the pipe into the head of the cylinder E', pressing down the piston E3, which through its spindle Ei forces the valve D3 to the position shown in Fig. 2, admitting the compressed air to the bottom of the cylinder C and causing the piston C and gate C3 to move up, at the same time Ithe front end of the cylinder B is placed in -features of my invention, the most essential feature of which is the connection of the deadspace in front of the second gate with controlling mechanism which will be set in operation by the compression of air due to the advance of a carrier, and which controlling mechanism will set in operation power-actuated mechanism for shifting the position of the gates, closing the' front gate and opening th rear gate. Y Y

A further important feature of `my invention lies in causing the exit of the carrier from the tube to set in operation controlling devices by which the power-actuated mechanism will restore the gate to normal position, and a third and further important feature of my invention is the provision of the two outletopenings on each side of the front gate and the use of a gate for alternately opening and closing said openings, so that while the aircurrent normally passes beyond the front gate it will as soon as said gate is closed pass from the tube in advance of said gate. This feature is of use in preventing the carrier from being thrown back beyond the front gate by tle resilient action of the compressed in front o it.

rHaving now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a pneumatic-despatch system, the combination with a pneumatic tube of gates for closing the same arranged a suiiicient-distance apart to give ample space between them for a carrier, mechanism for opening and closing said gates actuated by a power other thanthe compression of air by an advancing carrier, controlling devices whereby the gate-actuating mechanisms are made to operate in different directions, means' for actuating said controlling devices to successively close the first and open the second gate set in operation by the approach of a carrier to the second gate, means for actuating the controlling devices to successively close the second and open the first gate set in operation by the passage of acarrier beyond the second gate, an airoutlet passage having connections A3 Ai with the tube on both sides of the first gate, a gate whereby said connections are alternately opened and closed, gate-actuating mechanism for moving said gate and controlling devices for shifting said mechanism connected with the actuating mechanism of the rst tube-gate and arranged to connect the opening A4L in the rear of the tube-gate with the air-outlet passage when the said gate is open and to con- IOO IIO

nect the opening A3 in advance of said gate when it is closed.

2. In a pneumatic-despatch system, the combination with a pneumatic tube of gates for closing the same arranged a suiicient distance apart to give ample space between them for a carrier, mechanism for openingY and closing said gates actuated by a power other than the compression of air by an advancing carrier, controlling devices whereby the gate-actuating mechanisms are made to operate in diiferent directions, means for actuating said controlling devices to successively close the second and open the rst gate set in operation by the passage of a carrier beyond the sec- 0nd gate, an air-outlet passage having connections A3 A4 with the tube on both sides of the first gate, a gate whereby said connections are alternately opened and closed, gateactuating mechanism for moving said gate, controlling devices for shifting said mechanism connected with the actuating mechanism 'of the first tube-gate and arranged to connect the opening A4 in the rear of the tube-gate with the air-outlet passage when the said gate is open and to connect the opening A3 in advance of said gate When it is closed and a bypass connecting the outlet-passage with opening A4 around the gate in said air-passage.

3. In a pneumatic-despatch system, the combination With a pneumatic tube of gates for closing the same arranged a suicient distance apart to give ample space between them for a carrier, cylinders C and c for opening and closing said gates, Valves for alternately connecting the ends of said cylinders With a source of Huid under pressure and With an exhaust, means for shifting the controlling-valve of the first gate-cylinder to position to close said gate connected to be set in operation by an advancing carrier, means for shifting the controlling-valve of the second gate-cylinder to position to open said gate connected to be set in operation by the closing of the first gate, means for shifting the last-mentioned valve to position to close the second gate arranged to be set in operation by the passage of the carrier beyond the second gate, means for shifting the valve of the first gate-cylinder to position to open said gate arranged to be actuated by the closing of the second gate, an air-exit passage having openings A3 A4 into the tube on each side of the first gate, a gate to alternately open and close said openings and means for moving said gate to connect the opening A3 when the tube-gate is closed and the opening A4 when the said gate is open, said means being controlled by the movements of the controlling-valve of the gate-cylinder.

BLRNEY C. BATCHELLER. Witnesses:

CHAs. A. MYERS, D. STEWART. 

